Feb. 18, 2025
Contact: Brian Consiglio, consigliob@missouri.edu
Photos by Abbie Lankitus
Before Eclipse can fulfill his duties helping others, he needed help from a team of veterinarians at the University of Missouri.
An 1,800-pound horse that is trained for equine yoga, Eclipse is owned by yoga instructor Kalise Lischwe in southern Missouri. Last fall, Eclipse was diagnosed with corneal stromal abscess — a serious condition in horses where bacteria or fungus infects the cornea, causing severe pain and sometimes vision loss.
When Eclipse’s eye infection worsened, his local veterinarian referred him to Mizzou’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
“I was training Eclipse to help connect with people’s minds, bodies and souls through the therapeutic power of equine yoga,” Lischwe said. “But I was worried about his severe eye infection impacting his vision.”
At Mizzou, Eclipse received world-class care from a team that included Kile Townsend, a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist, and Elizabeth Giuliano, a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist — one of fewer than 700 worldwide — who has worked at Mizzou since 1999.
To treat the horse, Mizzou veterinarians placed a special tube in Eclipse’s right eye to deliver medication to treat the infection and reduce pain and inflammation.
The procedure was successful, but Eclipse still had a long road to recovery.
Giuliano gave detailed instructions to Lischwe so that she could return home with her horse while continuing the treatment plan. There, Lischwe worked with a caretaker, Brittany, who gave Eclipse medication four times a day for more than a month.
“I am so thankful to all the vets at Mizzou, as well as Brittany, for everything they did to help Eclipse heal,” Lischwe said.
Giuliano was delighted with the progress Eclipse showed when Lischwe brought him back to Mizzou for a check-up. Giuliano gave Lischwe the news she was waiting for: Eclipse was fully recovered with no vision loss.
“When I first brought Eclipse to Mizzou, it felt like everything in my life was falling apart, as my dad had just passed away and Eclipse was struggling with such a severe eye infection,” Lischwe said. “Looking back, I can’t say enough good things about the care Eclipse received at Mizzou. The vets were thorough, knowledgeable, patient and very supportive of both me and my horse. Mizzou healed my horse and my soul as well.”
This spring, Lischwe is excited to offer people the opportunity to connect with Eclipse on their own healing journeys.
“The special bond formed with horses is what sets equine yoga apart from regular yoga,” Lischwe said. “Horses’ energy creates a calming atmosphere, helping participants become more present.”
Giuliano is not only proud of the quality of care that animals receive at Mizzou, but also of the university’s land-grant mission toward serving animals such as Eclipse all across the state.
“Whether it’s veterinary ophthalmologists, equine internal medicine specialists, cardiologists, neurologists or orthopedic specialists, we all collaborate at Mizzou to provide the highest quality of care,” Giuliano said. “It is important to us to work together with primary care veterinarians, the animal’s owner and caretakers, often in rural areas. By cultivating and nurturing those relationships over time, the animals we treat receive world-class care.”
That’s why Mizzou’s College of Veterinary Medicine receives equine referrals from all over Missouri and throughout the Midwest, Giuliano said.
And as a pet owner herself, she understands the importance of providing the highest level of care.
“Being a veterinarian is incredibly rewarding, especially since I know firsthand how animals are considered part of their owner’s family,” Giuliano said. “I can relate to the love and concern owners feel toward their animals, so it feels good when we help them recover if something is wrong.”
